- The afterlife and the supernatural
- The corruption of Denmark
- The theme of revenge
Act 1, Scene 2:
- The king's guilt and his attempts to cover it up
- The theme of madness
- The theme of secrets and lies
Act 1, Scene 3:
- The appearance of the ghost and his revelation to Hamlet
- The theme of revenge
- The theme of the conflict between good and evil
Act 1, Scene 4:
- Hamlet's soliloquy on death and suicide
- The theme of the nature of reality
- The theme of the conflict between appearance and reality
Act 1, Scene 5:
- Hamlet's encounter with the ghost and his oath to avenge his father's death
- The theme of revenge
- The theme of the conflict between good and evil
Act 2, Scene 1:
- Polonius's advice to Laertes and Ophelia
- The theme of love and relationships
- The theme of the conflict between duty and desire
Act 2, Scene 2:
- Hamlet's feigned madness and his test of Claudius
- The theme of madness
- The theme of deceit
Act 2, Scene 3:
- The Player's speech and Hamlet's reaction
- The theme of the nature of art and drama
- The theme of the conflict between appearance and reality
Act 3, Scene 1:
- Hamlet's soliloquy on "to be or not to be" and his contemplation of suicide
- The theme of death and suicide
- The theme of the conflict between good and evil
Act 3, Scene 2:
- Hamlet's encounter with Ophelia and his harsh treatment of her
- The theme of love and relationships
- The theme of the conflict between duty and desire
Act 3, Scene 3:
- Hamlet's meeting with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern and his test of their loyalty
- The theme of friendship and betrayal
- The theme of deceit and intrigue
Act 3, Scene 4:
- Hamlet's encounter with his mother, Gertrude, and his accusation of her infidelity
- The theme of love and betrayal
- The theme of the conflict between duty and desire